


Take Two

by Teary_Eyed_Angel



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-04-06 20:44:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14065233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teary_Eyed_Angel/pseuds/Teary_Eyed_Angel
Summary: Takes place directly after PP3 ends. Beca calls Jesse to tell him the news - he's always been so supportive - and realizes she's so not over him. Beca's POV on her journey to becoming a performer and her relationship with Jesse.





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first foray into writing Pitch Perfect fanfiction, so any feedback is welcome. I've been working on this (read: editing and re-editing) for a couple months now, and I figured I'd better get part of it up soon or I never would.

I'm not an expert on how the music industry works, so sorry for any inaccuracies.

The timeline may be a little off, but I went with the following:  
Jesse graduated early and went to USC for film school (cut story line from PP2) and PP3 takes place approximately 3 years after the Bellas' graduation.

So, I guess, enjoy?  
____________________

The last week had both flown by and dragged into eternity for Beca. After the Bellas had bid the USO goodbye, she had been whisked back to New York to attend countless meetings with studio execs, agents, producers, and lawyers, oh my! When she finally signed her name on the last page of her contract, the relief almost washed away the ache in her hand.

She walked into her empty apartment—Amy had gone home to Tasmania to visit her mother for a few days after everything that had happened with her father, and Chloe had decided to stay in Europe with Chicago for a while as they "got to know each other"—and instead of flopping down on her bed and not moving for the foreseeable future as she wanted desperately to do, she sat at the tiny kitchen table and thumbed through the contacts in her phone. When her finger landed on Jesse's name, she hesitated before calling.

She had wanted to call him the night of her televised performance to tell him the news. The Bellas had been her support system for years, but he had been a big part of it, too. He'd encouraged her with every step she took in her career (and in her life), even when that step meant moving to New York instead of to LA with him. She felt like he deserved to hear the news from her. And if she were being completely honest with herself, he was still the first person she thought of when something big happened to her.

She sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose and touched the call button. He picked up before she had a chance to change her mind.

"Becaw!"

In her empty apartment, she didn't try to hide the smile that lit her face. "Hey, Nerd."

"Haven't heard from you in a while. What's up?" She didn't point out that it wasn't common practice for exes to keep in touch regularly, but had to bite her lip to keep from doing so.

Beca stood up and began pacing the small apartment. "I have some news. Good news," she assured. "And I just…You've always been so supportive of my music and my career and I…I just wanted…" she rambled. When had she ever had to justify herself to Jesse (excluding fights, of which there were plenty)? Something amazing had happened—was happening—to her, and she wanted to share it with someone who would truly understand what it meant to her; someone who supported her and loved her; someone she loved. "DJ Khaled signed me to his label," she told him in a rush.

There was silence on the other end of the line, and she wondered if she'd made a mistake. Maybe he didn't care anymore. They hadn't been together in over a year, he had a new girlfriend. Maybe—

"Beca, that's amazing! That's—I'm so proud of you." She could hear it in his voice and it clenched her stomach in an old familiar way. "I didn't know you were looking to get signed."

She laughed, the tension draining from her shoulders. "Funny story." So she told him about the USO tour and being chosen by Khaled. And about Amy's father taking the Bellas hostage. He listened, putting in the proper 'uh-huh's and 'oh, my god's and, because he was Jesse, one 'Good song choice.' They fell back into their routine of witty banter and teasing as they talked, and it felt good and familiar and…she wasn't going there.

"So," Beca started. She wasn't sure how to broach the other news she had. She had to tell him—it would be awkward if she didn't— but she didn't want him to read into it. Or think that she was reading into it. She realized she was over thinking and finally just told him, quickly, "The label is sending me out to LA for a couple of weeks."

"Yeah?" Did he sound excited? Did she like that he did?

"Yeah," she breathed. "They want me to meet with some people out there." She waited a beat. "There's so many people, Jesse."

He laughed and she had to sit down. She missed that sound. "As a music producer, I feel like you should know that."

Beca rolled her eyes. "But as a producer, I was just one of those people. Now I'm on the other side and there are so many."

"You'll be fine, Bec. Great even." She could hear the sincerity in his voice beneath the laughter. "We should definitely hang out while you're here."

Beca froze. They could be themselves on the phone or through text. She didn't have to think about the fact that he had moved on; that he had a girlfriend and a cat; that he was happy without her.

She must have been silent for too long, because Jesse's voice, though his words were casual, held no small amount of trepidation when it filled her ear again. "Or not. I mean, you'll probably be really busy and have no time for us peons." He let silence ring once again.

Beca sighed. Jesse had always been someone she could be honest with, no matter how awkward the subject matter. "It's not that. It's…I'm not sure hanging with your ex is something your girlfriend would be ok with." I sure as hell wouldn't.

Jesse's sigh sounded relieved. "Ah, no worries there. I'm girlfriend-free at the moment."

"What?" Beca bit her lip and mentally crossed her fingers that he hadn't heard her elation in that one word.

He chuckled at her shocked outburst. "Lindsey and I broke up."

Beca took a breath to control the tone of her voice. "I feel like I'm supposed to say 'sorry' or something." She wasn't going to.

He laughed and her body reacted. "No. It's good. We weren't right for each other."

She bit her own tongue to keep it from spitting out the "Damn right," that entered her mind. "Good. I didn't wanna lie to you."

"You never have to lie to me, Beca." She heard something below the teasing laughter in his voice, but couldn't quite place it.

"I know." She knew exactly what the something in her own voice was and, in the privacy of her own mind, could name the feeling. Longing. So much longing. "I'll text you when I know my schedule and we'll meet up."

"Yes. Absolutely!" That was definitely excitement.

She knew the smile was in her voice, and she didn't care to hide it from him. "Bye, Nerd."

"Bye, Beca."

Beca sat staring at her phone for a moment after she ended the call. What the hell was she doing? She had meant it to be just a friendly phone call, but it had been way too easy to fall back into their old rhythm. It was Jesse; she didn't know how to be just friends with him.

She had no more time to contemplate it, however, as Amy came through the door not at all quietly and said only, "Get ready, Bitch, we're going out."  
____________________

Beca was halfway through her second drink and Amy was on her sixth when the blonde let out a groan. "I love that woman, but a week with her makes me remember why I left Australia in the first place." After downing the rest of her drink like a shot, she flagged the waitress down to order another.

Three drinks later, Beca thought it was safe enough to tell her best friend about her call with Jesse. "So, I called Jesse today. To tell him."

"I don't know why you guys broke up in the first place." That was not the reaction Beca had been expecting. Amy had been the first one to take her out to "forget him" after their breakup. Three days after, to be precise. She had wound up in a corner, blubbering on some unlucky guy's shoulder while Amy found a much luckier fellow to spend her time forgetting Bumper with.

"I mean, you guys were perfect together. And the sexual chemistry—" The waitress chose that moment to return with Amy's drink, distracting the blonde like a cat with a glitter ball, in an answer Beca's prayers.

Beca heaved a sigh and played with the straw in her forgotten drink. "You know why. The long distance thing sucked. We never saw each other—"

"Bull!" Amy slammed her (empty) glass on the table for added effect. "You were scared." Beca's mouth opened and closed several times trying to refute her amazingly-still-kind-of-sober best friend. "Beca, we both know any label in LA would've jumped at the chance to hire you, but you never tried." Amy raised her hand to flag down their waitress for another drink. "If you can't admit it to me, at least admit it to yourself."  
____________________

That night, lying in bed with Amy—Beca was barely able to get the grossly over affectionate blonde the ten feet to Chloe's bed as they stumbled in the door and had then been trapped in what she and Chloe had not-so-cleverly named the "Drunken Amy Cuddle"—Beca could admit that she had been scared to start life after college with Jesse. College had been a safe haven for their relationship to flourish. They lived next door to each other, but that hedge was still a comfortable degree of separation. They had their life together, but the college lifestyle kept a cozy distance between them.

The thought of moving across the country with him and starting a real life together—yeah, it scared the shit out of her. So when she landed the job at an indie label in New York, she took it. It quickly became clear, however, that though the small distance they had maintained at Barden had been comfortable, 3,000 miles was heartbreaking. So when, on one of their rare Skype calls, Jesse had suggested that they take a breather, she had agreed.

She flipped angrily, earning a groan from Amy that put a petty smile on her face. Damn it. She had overcome so many personal obstacles when it came to Jesse. From her fear of being left (thanks, Dad) to saying "I love you" (she had avoided him for a week after he'd said it the first time). She had conquered every one of them, because it was Jesse and he was worth it. So why had she given into her fears after fighting for so long not to?

Amy snorted and rolled, leaving Beca the options of being crushed or thrown off the bed. In a split second decision, as she wasn't getting any sleep that night anyway, Beca rolled out of bed, narrowly missing taking a double D cup to the eye. Huffing at the blonde, she shuffled to her desk and opened her laptop. Music always calmed her down.

"Why do planes fly so early? If the sun isn't in the sky, people should definitely not be."

Beca rolled her eyes for what she was sure was at least the 90th time in the last 45 minutes. "You could've stayed home."

Amy scoffed and stole Beca's coffee—the largest JFK had to offer at 4:30 in the morning. "I couldn't let you go alone." She took a long drink and handed the now empty cup back to Beca. "Besides, you practically begged me to come." Beca's exact words had been "I'm going to LA for a couple of weeks." Still, she appreciated having a friend along for the ride. Amy was a welcome familiarity in this whirlwind of so much that was not.

She had sat up all night at her mixing board three days ago asking herself why she was willing to leap out of her comfort zone when it came to her career, but when it came to her personal life—when it came to Jesse—she stood paralyzed, unable or unwilling to cross that threshold into the unknown. The answer she had finally come up with just as the sun had awoken had brought a sigh to her lips and tears to her eyes. If she failed at music, it would break her heart; if she failed with Jesse, it would shatter her being.

"Beca?" Beca was jerked out of her thoughts by Amy, now standing. "You ready?"

Beca realized passengers were lining up to board and stood herself. "Yeah. Let's go." Amy raised her brow and Beca saw the worry in her best friend's expressive face. Beca heaved her laptop case over her shoulder and shook her head.

Respecting her wish for space, Amy nodded and headed to get in line. "There's booze on this flight, yeah?"  
____________________

"And this is home for the next couple of weeks." Beca had to clench her teeth to keep her jaw from dropping as she followed Marilyn, the label rep, into the biggest hotel suite she'd ever seen. "If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call. I'll leave my card and a copy of the itinerary on the table here." While Marilyn did just that, Beca was engaged in a heated, though silent, argument with Amy.

"No!" Beca mouthed.

Amy gave a huff. "She said anything," was her silent reply.

"Amy, I swear to—"

"The label will send a car tomorrow morning at nine for the studio tour. Until then, enjoy yourselves." Marilyn spread her arms. "Welcome to Los Angeles!"

"Yeah, so, where's the nearest massage parlor? I need to get my happy ending on." If Marilyn had misunderstood Amy at all, the hip thrust that accompanied the statement cleared things up pretty quickly.

"She's kidding!" If looks could kill…

"I'm not." While Beca's glare sent most people fleeing, Amy had developed an immunity after having it aimed her way on a regular basis for years.

"She is. She definitely is. Ok, 9 a.m. tomorrow, got it. See you then." Marilyn looked more than a little revolted as she let Beca push her out the door. Furiously turning back to the shameless blonde, Beca let her face do the talking. Seriously?

Amy shrugged. Whatever.

Beca shook her head and flopped face first onto the couch in the middle of the suite.

"Beca," Amy began slowly, "this whole thing has been happening so fast, we never really got to talk about how you're doing with everything." Beca turned her head to give Amy a quizzical look over the back of the couch. "I mean, you're obviously very stressed. And I never got an address for that massage parlor."

"I don't think a happy ending is what I need right now, Ames." She sat up on the couch. "This is amazing and nothing I ever dreamed of doing, but it's kind of perfect, you know?" Beca had never seen herself as a performer, but the Bellas had forced her to become one. And she found herself loving that rush she'd felt after her first ICCA finals.

Amy came to sit on the coffee table across from Beca. "It is. But it's also a lot of change. You're not great with change."

Leave it to Amy to always keep her grounded by pointing out her every fault. Beca had to smile, though. Amy could list every flaw you had and in the next sentence, tell you what an amazing bitch you were. "I'm working on it."

"Are you gonna see Jesse?"

Beca blinked at the sudden topic change. "I don't know." Her eyes looked everywhere but at Amy as her hands busied themselves twisting her rings. "Maybe." She decided that exact moment was a good time to unpack and nearly head butted Amy as she stood up. "If I have time," she threw over her shoulder as she rolled her bag into the nearest of the two bedrooms.

After years of dealing with Beca Mitchell's avoidance of feelings, Amy had perfected a system to get her to talk: don't let her run (aka trap and annoy). She walked in to Beca transferring clothes from her suitcase to the dresser.

"You have time tonight."

Beca faltered in her task. "What? Tonight?" Why was her voice so high? "It's our first night in town. We should go out, explore the city." She almost sprinted to the adjoining bathroom with her toiletries.

Keeping to the system, Amy followed. "Yeah, we could do that." She stood, arms crossed, in the doorway. A literal trap for the skittish brunette. "Or Jesse could show you around."

Beca busied herself with setting her things just so to avoid Amy's eyes. "What," she laughed awkwardly, "you trying to get rid of me?" She caught the blonde's eyes in the mirror and Amy quickly shifted her gaze. Relief flooded Beca and she whirled on her captor. "Seriously? We just got here."

Amy shifted from foot to foot in a dance Beca recognized as the Aussie's 'I've got a secret' tick. "Ok, all right, it doesn't have to be tonight. But I've seen the itinerary, Beca. You have plenty of downtime."

Beca crossed her arms. "Why are you pushing this all of a sudden? You were the one who told me to 'dump the ball and chain and live a little,' remember?"

Amy threw her hands up in exasperation. "Oh, come on, Beca. I'm the one who rescues the Bellas from a hostage situation, not the one you take love advice from." Beca couldn't argue the truth in that. She arched one eyebrow and waited for the blonde to crack.

"Look, you just haven't been as happy since you broke up with Jesse. I'm not the only one who's noticed."

Beca let out a long suffering sigh and sat on the toilet. No, she hadn't. And, apparently, she hadn't been doing as good of a job at acting as though she was "just fine" as she'd thought. "He suggested the break, Amy. He moved on. Just because they broke up doesn't cancel that out." She looked up at her best friend, pleading for understanding. "You were right. I was scared and I let it ruin one of the best things I've ever had." She wiped a tear that had stubbornly escaped from her eye. "Jesse and I are over."

Amy's hug was more uncomfortable than comforting in her current position, but Beca appreciated it all the same. A long moment passed before uncomfortable became painful and Beca managed to slither out from the cage of Amy's arms. She was at the threshold to the bedroom when she turned to ask, "Who did you have a date with tonight?"

"Hmm, well, mmm, uhhh."  
____________________

A/N 2: Please let me know what you thought. I have more written and hope to finish the story fairly soon (no promises on that), and feedback may or may not help that process along.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Beca/Jesse interaction in LA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all who left feedback. I so greatly appreciate each and every one of you. 
> 
> Please let me know if they seem too out of character.

Beca had given in and called Jesse to meet up on Saturday. She was currently sitting on the couch fidgeting with her clothes—it had taken her an hour to decide on an outfit that wasn't too dressy (this was not a date), but not too casual (he should see what he's been missing)—and wondering if she should change. Again.

Jesse had texted 20 minutes ago to say that he was caught in traffic because of an accident on the freeway but would be there as soon as he could. The knock on the door sent her heart racing. She took some calming breaths to keep from hyperventilating and checked her appearance in the mirror by the door. She had a smile on her face that instantly died when she opened the door.

"Bumper?"

The former Treblemaker was just as surprised to see her if his wide eyes and half-open mouth were any indication. "Hey…"

Beca rolled her eyes. Of course he couldn't remember her name. "It's Beca."

Bumper nodded. "Beca, right." He looked at her as if just recognizing her. "You're Jesse's girlfriend, right?"

Beca leaned against the doorframe. "Ex."

Bumper's eyebrows were nearly lost in his shaggy hair. "You guys were together for, like, four years."

"Almost five." This small talk was killing her. "Why are you here?"

"Beca!" Amy's voice was an octave higher than usual. "You're supposed to be gone. Out. With Jesse."

Beca turned to the blonde with an arched brow. "He's running late." She jabbed a thumb at Bumper. "Is this your date tonight?"

"Yes."

Amy looked at Bumper angrily. "Go to the bedroom and wait for me." She turned back to Beca. "It's not a date." Beca raised her hands in surrender. "We're not back together. It's strictly sexual."

Beca crossed her arms and stepped into the room to let the door close behind her. "He didn't come all the way from Vegas just for sex." Her tone was skeptical; the man had a tattoo of her face on his ass, for Christ's sake.

"Yeah, I'm that good." With a wink, Amy headed after her boytoy. "I'll text you when the coast is clear."

"Not in my room!" Beca shouted to Amy's back. She sighed. She was definitely gonna need to put in a request to housekeeping for new sheets.

"I came at a weird time." Beca whirled around so fast she nearly lost her balance. "Sorry, the door was cracked."

"Jesse." His name came out as a sigh and Beca mentally smacked herself. When he opened his arms, she fell into them, all the stress of the last few weeks melting away against his body. After a moment, Beca released him, reluctantly.

"Ready to go?" Jesse's voice was gruff with emotion and Beca shivered. Not trusting her voice, she only nodded and retrieved her jacket and purse from the couch. She closed her eyes at the warm touch of Jesse's hand on her lower back as they headed out.  
\--------------------

Jesse took her to a little hole-in-the-wall diner that played the top 40's of the late 80's and had the best milkshakes she'd ever tasted.

"It's my favorite place in the city." She could see why. It was exactly the kind of place Jesse would adore. It was bright and happy and looked like it belonged in one of those 80's movies he loved so much.

When they stopped outside of a bar with a neon sign flashing "Karaoke," Beca arched an eyebrow and let her incredulous look do the talking. Really?

Jesse just gave her his signature boyish grin and dragged her inside.

They found a table and Jesse left her to get drinks from the bar. When he returned, said drinks in hand, he was smiling much too widely for Beca's liking, considering the current establishment.

"So," she took a sip of the beer he'd handed her, "what are you gonna sing for me?" Her stomach clenched when his lips stretched impossibly wider.

"Oh, it's you who will sing for me." He looked way too sure of himself.

"And how exactly do you plan to make me?" She heard the flirtation in her own voice and ignored the sparkle in Jesse's eye that said he had too. He just kept smiling and nodded to the (barely touched) drink in her hand.

"Another?"

Beca glared at him. Yep, that would work. The one and only time he'd ever gotten her to sing karaoke had been fairly early in their relationship. The Bellas and Trebles—most of them half lit already—had decided that the best way to spend their Saturday night would be to hit up a karaoke bar. Beca had refused at first, but Jesse's breath in her ear, whispering "Come on, Bec, it'll be fun" and that damned smile had convinced her.

With some smooth talking from the of-age Trebles and some flirting from the Bellas—Stacie—everyone was allowed in. Beca had steadfastly refused all efforts to get her up on stage…until that fifth shot hit her. She and Chloe had sung a duet to Lady Gaga and Beyonce's Telephone and she distinctly remembered an extremely cringe-worthy rendition of R. Kelly's Ignition (Remix) as she stared at Jesse and thrust her hips repeatedly.

Beca made a show of slowly sliding the bottle away from her. "I'm good."

"All right, next up is…" The man standing on stage with a clipboard squinted at it. "Beca Mitchell."

A smattering of applause rose from the bar patrons as Beca gave Jesse a death glare. Unfortunately for her, much like Fat Amy, he'd become immune over the years. "Dude, what the hell?"

Jesse, to his credit, looked a bit sheepish. "Come on, Bec, please?" When she only continued to glare, he added, "For me?"

Damn him. Damn him and his smiles that did things to her stomach and pleading eyes that had her saying "Fine" instead of "Dude, no!"

"Beca, you out there?" The guy on stage put his hand to his forehead to mimic looking for someone in the crowd.

Beca pointed a finger and narrowed her eyes at Jesse as she rose. "If the Biebs starts playing through those speakers, I'm out." His grin gave her pause, but she heaved a mock put upon sigh and took the stage.

"Beca Mitchell, everyone!" Announcer Man, as Beca had now dubbed him, handed her the mic and stepped off the stage.

She stood, waiting for the words to appear on the little television screen in front of her when she heard the intro to a very familiar song. She froze. Finding Jesse in the crowd, she desperately tried to garner any information she could from his expression, missing the beginning lyrics of the song. Out of the three-inch binder full of song selections, he had chosen this song. Why? Did it mean something? Or was she just reading into it because it meant something to her? Jesse gave no indication of his intentions; he just smiled and shrugged. She took a deep breath and began the first verse to Simple Minds' Don't You (Forget About Me).

She stood center stage, eyes locked on Jesse's—she didn't need the lyrics on the screen, she knew this song in her soul—and sang.

In an act reminiscent of the very beginning of their romance, Jesse slowly raised his fist into the air as Beca sang the lyrics that were seared into both of their memories; their hearts. When I walk on by, will you call my name? It took every ounce of concentration she had to not falter.

As the music faded, Beca blindly handed the mic to Announcer Man and stumbled off stage in a daze. When she reached their table, she grabbed her nearly full beer and chugged. She set the empty bottle back on the table slowly and finally met Jesse's eyes. "You're up."

One group rendition of Beyoncé's Single Ladies (including dance routine) and two screechy Brittany Spears wannabes later, Beca disappeared. She returned just as the burly guy on stage was finishing his too-deep version of Justin Bieber's Love Yourself with two beers and a smirk.

Announcer Man was up on stage again, announcing, "Jesse 'The Nerd' Swanson."

Jesse set his beer down. "Any hints?"

Beca grinned and took a sip from her bottle. "Just a little flashback."

He shook his head and raised his hand. "The Nerd is coming!"

Beca watched him swagger to the stage. His confidence in all situations had always been a trait she admired (and was sexy as hell—mostly). Sure, when it came to music, she had that swagger—she was good and she knew it—but Jesse's confidence (cockiness, at times) never wavered. He never seemed unsure of himself, and, even when it annoyed the hell out of her, she still found it enviable.

She heard the beginning chords to Foreigner's It Feels Like the First Time and watched the recognition dawn on Jesse's face. Two could play at this game.

She could feel Jesse watching her as she sat at her desk in the brand new Bellas house.

"When did it start for you?" Beca turned to him, sitting on her bed. "This." He gestured between them.

She looked at him quizzically. "What brought that on?"

Jesse shrugged. "I knew from day one that this was the outcome I wanted. You seemed unconvinced of our inevitability."

Beca rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Why am I attracted to someone who is so weird? It's embarrassing."

Jesse grinned and hopped off her bed. He gave her a peck on the lips but pulled back when she tried to take advantage of the proximity of his mouth to hers. "Humor me."

Beca sighed. "The riff-off." She'd hoped to get away with just that, but Jesse's arched brow and complete silence told her it wasn't in the cards. She sighed again and closed her laptop, setting her headphones on top of it. Her mix would have to wait until she indulged her nerdier-than-thou boyfriend's whim.

"I liked you well enough before. You're attractive, you're not wholly unfunny," she ignored his mock offended look, "and I didn't hate your presence." Jesse put a hand to his chest and mouthed "Thank you." She punched him lightly. "But at the riff-off, when you sang to me—when you sang fucking Foreigner to me—" She stopped. How did she explain that epiphany moment? "Here was this sexy guy," she rolled her eyes when he waggled his eyebrows, "who I enjoyed hanging out with, who shared my passion for music, and he could sing. I was just watching you, and I thought, Yeah, I could see myself with this guy." She looked down at her hands. "It scared the shit out of me."

Jesse reached for her hand. Afraid the personal confession would cause her walls to shut him out, he changed the tone. "That's how you deal with fear? You just rap sexily in my face?"

"Duh," she deadpanned. She played with his fingers and smiled sadly. "Music has always been my preferred method of escape; parents fighting, feelings, fears." Jesse glanced at the headphones lying on top of her closed laptop.

Beca shook her head and cupped his cheek. "I don't want to escape from this." She tried to put everything she was feeling into her kiss. She didn't want to run from him; she wanted to stay right here in his arms forever. Life wasn't so bad in his arms.

She wasn't sure who initiated the stripping of clothing, but she really didn't care. Every new inch of skin revealed was another step in their journey together. And she wasn't afraid.

As they lie there, curled in each other's arms, their breathing slowly returning to normal, she heard Jesse humming. She hid her grin in his chest as she recognized the tune: It Feels Like the First Time.

Beca watched Jesse as he performed, pointing at her as he sang "It must be the woman in you, that brings out the man in me." She could feel her skin flush but refused to break eye contact. It was a battle that lasted through the song and only ended when he left the stage to applause.

He gave his adoring fans high fives on the way back to their table but was corralled by two women Beca recognized from an earlier (horrible) performance before he made it. The moves he'd perfected at Barden still attracted the groupies. In college, she'd have rescued him and let any female (and quite a few males) within a mile radius know that he was extremely taken. He was on his own now…except he was giving her that look, and she couldn't let him suffer.

Beca exaggerated the sway of her hips as she walked up to the group. Completely ignoring the women grabbing at Jesse, she ran her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck. She put on her best oblivious drunken girlfriend persona and told him, "Mmm, baby, you were sooooo good up there." She turned her head to the incredulous duo behind her. "Isn't my man just so sexy when he sings?" She had to keep herself from gasping when Jesse wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight to his chest.

One of the women—the blonde—nodded. "He is. We were just asking if Jesse here would be interested in singing with us." From the predatory gleam in her eye and the sultry look on her face, singing wasn't at all what she had in mind.

Beca put on the biggest fake smile she could muster. "Sorry, girls, Jesse has somewhere to be."

It was the redhead that spoke up this time. She was definitely seeing blurred figures already, so Beca couldn't bring herself to be too annoyed with her when she giggled out, "It's so early, where could you possibly be going?"

Jesse chose that exact moment to really get into their little act, burying his head in her neck and finding her pulse point to suck on. The moan that sprang from Beca's lips was not an act, however. Her eyes fell closed at the sensation and she had to swallow before she could answer, "My bed." She turned away from the pair and grabbed Jesse by the hair, slamming their lips together. She heard a giggle from the redhead and a "God, gross" from the blonde before they walked away.

At the pair's departure, Beca slowly pulled back, releasing Jesse's hair. He rested his forehead against hers and tried to slow his breathing.

"My tiny knight in skinny jeans."

Beca snorted. "You're such a damsel; always needing to be rescued." She stepped back out of his arms. "We should go." Jesse nodded and led the way back to their table. Beca didn't say anything about him holding her hand. They had to keep up the act, after all.

They'd barely made it out of the bar when Jesse burst into laughter, followed by Beca shortly after. When they'd calmed down, they began to walk.

"Nice approach. It's a bit different than I remember."

Beca shrugged. "Different objective." Jesse raised his brows in question. "When we were together, the objective was to make sure she knew you were mine and that it was in her best interest to back off."

Jesse chuckled. "Claiming your territory."

Beca scoffed. "You weren't any better."

"Nope." They walked in silence for a minute. "So, how was tonight's objective different?" She could hear the smug smile in his voice.

Beca stopped walking and faced Jesse with raised brow. "Tonight was about helping a friend out of an uncomfortable situation."

Jesse grinned. "Ok." Beca bit her lip and continued walking.

They walked aimlessly for awhile, enjoying the night and each other's company. Neither realized the time until an electronic billboard kindly reminded them that it was 65 degrees and 11 p.m.

Beca quickly dug her phone out from her purse to check her texts.

"Oh, man, I didn't realize how late it was. Do you need to get back?" Jesse turned in half circles mumbling something about remembering where he'd parked.

Beca held up her phone in answer to his question. "Amy hasn't sent the all clear yet." She didn't bother explaining. He'd known Amy long enough to draw the right conclusions.

Jesse nodded. "Ok, well, did you wanna grab a drink somewhere, or," he hesitated. "We could go back to my place and watch a movie or something."

Beca swallowed and prayed it wasn't audible. "No, Jesse, you don't have to hang with me in exile. I can just chill in the hotel bar or something."

That smile sprang to his lips—the smile that had slowly (but oh, so surely) broken down every defense she'd clung to at 18. "You're just trying to get out of watching a movie with me." He pointed at her admonishingly. "I know you haven't been keeping up with your movication in New York."

She hadn't. Movies without his running commentary and "fun facts" were just as boring as they'd ever been. And she loved her roommates, but their chests didn't have that little nook that fit her head perfectly. She sighed in mock annoyance. "All right, Professor, I guess I can sit through one movie."

She couldn't. Halfway through La La Land, she was out cold. She vaguely registered the vibrating of her phone, signaling an incoming text and then Jesse's voice was in her ear. "Mmm, please, baby, just five more minutes," she mumbled and snuggled back into his chest. She smiled sleepily when she felt herself being carried. And then she was in a warm bed that smelled of Jesse and she was drifting back into dreamland again.  
\--------------------

Beca woke up to the smell of coffee. She turned to snuggle into Jesse's chest for just five more minutes of sleep, but found an empty bed. Her eyes snapped open and she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The last thing she remembered was Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone dancing on screen. It didn't take much effort to figure out what happened next.

She ran her fingers through her hair and took a breath before venturing towards the delicious smell of caffeine.

Jesse beamed upon seeing her. "Hey, you're up." He poured a cup and handed it over. "Black, like your soul."

Beca smirked and took a long sip, sighing in pleasure. Now that she was properly awake, she noticed the pillow and blanket folded neatly on one end of the couch. "Dude, you didn't have to sleep on the couch." Jesse shrugged, but it looked to Beca like there was something he wasn't saying.

"So, did you need to get back right away or can you stay for breakfast?" He looked so hopeful and his omelets were so good, but she really needed to get away from him before she did something stupid.

"I really should get back to the hotel. I promised Amy I'd go with her to scope out the acts on Hollywood Boulevard." Jesse raised a brow. "She wants to see if there's anything she can incorporate into her Fat Amy Winehouse act." The other brow rose as well. Beca sighed. "It's just better if you don't ask."

Jesse nodded. "Fair enough." He set his coffee down on the counter. "Let me get changed and I'll take you back."

Beca chuckled. "What, you don't think the greater Los Angeles area would appreciate your R2-D2 pajama bottoms?" She scoffed. "Their loss."

Jesse laughed on his way to the bedroom.  
\--------------------

Beca walked into the hotel suite and dropped her things on the little table just inside the door. All she wanted was to soak in a long hot bath and listen to some music to take her mind off of the fact that she was definitely not over Jesse. But she'd promised Amy she'd tag along to Hollywood Boulevard, even if it was the most touristy spot in the city. Speaking of… "Amy?"

Listening for a response was when she finally heard the noises coming from the Aussie's bedroom. Shit. She hadn't even looked at the text Amy had sent last night, stupidly assuming that 14 hours would be enough. She'd completely forgotten about all the weekends she'd spent at the Treble house for reasons that had nothing to do with Jesse and his amazing omelets.

Grabbing her phone and sprinting to her room, Beca quickly found Jesse's number.

"Forget something or do you just miss me already?"

Beca put her phone on speaker so she could change her clothes. "Where are you?"

"Just a few blocks away. What's wrong?" All amusement was gone from his voice, replaced by a worry Beca would let herself feel guilty about later.

"The coast is not clear." Jesse let out a belly laugh that made her pause and frown at her phone. "Not funny! You gonna help me out or not?"

The laughter lingered in his voice when he answered. "I guess one good rescue deserves another. Be there in a few." Beca finished changing and ran for her sanity.

Jesse was waiting when she exited the hotel. "There is not enough brain bleach on earth to erase that from my memory." She shuddered. "Thank you for rescuing me."

Jesse grinned. "Anytime, m'lady." They pulled away from the hotel and into traffic. "I know this great diner if you're hungry. Their omelets aren't quite as amazing as mine, but they're still pretty tasty."

"Yes, please. I'm starving."

They spent most of the day doing touristy things because "You have to do it once, Beca!" and despite the absolute cliché of it all, she enjoyed herself.

"There's one more place you have to see." Beca groaned. "I promise you'll love it."

"Fine, but you're buying me dinner after this."

Jesse grinned. "Deal."

…

When they entered the Grammy Museum, Beca knew Jesse was right. She was definitely gonna love it.

They wandered around for an hour, though most of their time was spent in the recording booths mixing their own off-key tracks.

"You're gonna be in there someday," Jesse told her as they left. "Your voice, your face, your music, it's all gonna be in there." He was so confident and sincere in his declaration that Beca had to take a breath to keep the tears that had suddenly formed in her eyes from falling.

Her "Thank you" was only just above a whisper.  
\--------------------

After dinner, Beca had texted Amy to make sure the coast was indeed clear this time.

As they neared the hotel, Beca bit her lip and before she could change her mind, asked, "Do you wanna come up? I can't promise Amy left anything in the mini-bar, but…"

Jesse smiled but didn't take his eyes off the road. "I'd love to."

…

The elevator ride up was silent and gave Beca time to second guess herself. Why had she asked him up? Did she want something to happen? Was he expecting something to happen? Why was she so nervous? This was Jesse.

When they entered the room, Beca made a beeline for the mini-bar. "We have vodka!" She grabbed two of the tiny bottles and two glasses from the kitchenette. She poured the glasses and handed one to Jesse.

"Thank you for today. These last few weeks have been really stressful. I mean, it's amazing, don't get me wrong, but…I just really needed today. So, thank you."

Jesse set his glass down and took hers to do the same. He rested his hands on her shoulders. "You are going to be amazing at this. I mean, I've always known you'd do amazing things with music, but this, it's kind of the perfect fit."

"It is." She swallowed when he tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"And whenever you need some time to just be you, I'm your guy." He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned in.

Beca knew what was coming; he'd given her plenty of time to stop it. Her eyes closed and when their lips met, it was like coming home. It wasn't the rough kiss they'd shared at the karaoke bar; it was gentle, almost hesitant. Or it was until Jesse grabbed her by the waist with his free hand and licked her bottom lip, demanding access. And she granted it eagerly.

It was only when his hand found its way beneath her shirt that coherent thought returned to her. "Jesse," she mumbled against his lips. When he only continued to caress her lips with his own, she tried again. "Jesse." She placed her hands on his chest. "Jesse, what are we doing?" she eventually managed to get out between kisses.

He moved from her lips to trail open mouthed kisses down her jaw and neck. "We've been doing this for years." Beca let out a moan when he nipped just below her ear. "You're very good at it."

That was exactly the dose of reality she needed. They'd done this for years, but they hadn't been for over a year. Because he'd moved on. She said his name again and pushed him away. "What the hell are we doing?" She ran her hands through her mussed hair and, remembering the vodka, downed her glass.

Jesse looked sexy as hell with his messed up hair, flushed face, and confusion in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I thought—" He ran a hand down his face and followed her lead, slamming the vodka shot. "Did I read into it? That kiss at the bar—and you had me sing that Foreigner song—"

"You made me sing our song!" Jesse took a step back at her outburst and the pain in his eyes broke her heart.

"I thought it meant something." His voice sounded so much like a lost little boy, and she needed to fix it. She took two steps and smashed her lips to his again because it did mean something.

It ended as quick as it began and she put distance between them again.

"Beca?" He reached for her and she couldn't take it. She would love to just fall into his arms and never let go, but—

"You moved on!" His shocked bewilderment at her outburst would have been adorable at any other moment.

"No, I didn't." It was so matter of fact that she felt the need to remind him of the past few months.

"You were living with your girlfriend and your cat," she spit the word out, "until a few weeks ago."

Jesse took a step forward and she took one back. He sighed. "First of all, we were never living together, and it was her cat. Second, just because I was dating someone," his voice softened, "doesn't mean I was ever over you."

"You sure moved fast for someone who 'wasn't over me.'" She used air quotes for the last.

"Too fast for someone who was actually over you." Beca cocked a brow and didn't move when he took a tentative step towards her. "Beca, our breakup killed me." Another step. "I was sad all the time; I hurt all the time. So, I jumped at the first girl I found a little bit interesting to try and drown some of that out." Another step and he was invading her personal space. "It wasn't fair to either of us."

Beca didn't move but she didn't react when he cupped her cheek either. "You remember you broke up with me, right?"

Jesse sighed and dropped his hand. "You were scared, Bec. I waited over a year for you, but the strain of the distance was getting to both of us, and it definitely wasn't helping with your doubts."

Beca looked into the eyes she'd been studiously avoiding since that second kiss. "You knew I was scared?"

Jesse smiled gently and used both of his hands to cradle her face, assuring she could see the absolute truth in his eyes. "Beca, I know you better than anyone." He paused for emphasis. "Even the Bellas."

She leaned into his hands, enjoying the comfort of his touch for a minute before realizing that none of that really meant anything. She threw her hands in the air, breaking Jesse's hold. "So, what does that mean? I'm not over you, you're not over me, but what does that change, Jesse?"

Jesse blew out a breath and smiled. "You know, until you said it, I wasn't completely sure."

Beca rolled her eyes, but smiled back. "I think it's pretty obvious after the last couple days that I am completely, one hundred percent not over you." She dropped her eyes and her voice was fragile. "But I'm still scared."

Jesse grabbed her hips and pulled her against his chest. "What if we take it slow? No pressure. You're just starting a new career, and I've still got a couple of months of school left." He kissed the top of her head. "I've got a break coming up soon, why don't I come visit you in New York and we'll see where we are after that?"

"No pressure?" Her voice was muffled against his chest.

"No pressure, no labels, no obligations until we decide otherwise—together." He loosened his grip on her when she pulled away, but refused to let her go completely.

"How is that different from where we were a week ago?" Her fingers played with the fabric of his shirt and her eyes looked anywhere but into his.

Jesse took her fiddling hands in his. "Because we're going to try." He dropped one of her hands to lift her face. "You're not going to ignore my calls." She opened her mouth to refute that but, as it was the truth, closed it quickly. "We're going to make time for each other; we'll talk and text and Skype."

"Oh, my." His grin looked absolutely painful.

"And we will definitely be continuing your movication. It's obviously working." Beca didn't say anything, just continued to stare at him, contemplating. He took a step back from her and she missed the feel of his touch already. "Beca, please say something. Do you want this?" He gestured between them.

Beca took a cautious step forward and took his hands. "I can't promise you that I won't freak out, ok? And I know you can't promise that everything will work out, so please don't." She sighed. "But I can promise to make an effort. Because I want this, Jesse. I want us; I want you." She fought every instinct she had to not look away from his eager eyes as she bared her soul to him. "So, we will talk and we will text and we will Skype."

"Oh my," he whispered.

"And you will visit me in New York, and we'll go from there."

Beca squealed when he picked her up and spun her around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a little bit more written after this - not enough for a full chapter - so, the update may take a bit longer this time. The reviews have been a huge motivator so far, so keep 'em coming!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are no excuses. Well, there are a lot of excuses, but none that matter.

Between Jesse’s classes and Beca’s studio schedule, they didn’t see each other again until the night before she returned to New York.  They were in Beca’s room in the hotel, packing.  Well, she was packing; Jesse was lounging on the bed, watching her.

“I thought I missed you before,” Jesse told her, getting up to block her way to her suitcase, “but now that you’re here and I can see you and touch you and kiss you,” he paused to do just that, “it’s going to be unbearable.”

Beca dropped the clothes she’d been about to pack to wrap her arms around his neck.  “We’ll see each other in a few weeks.”

Jesse groaned.  “Weeks,” he scoffed.  “Might as well be years.”

Beca rolled her eyes playfully.  “Dramatic much?”

Jesse sighed and rested his forehead against hers.  “I’m just really gonna miss you.”

I lieu of answering, Beca rose on her tip toes to give him a hungry kiss that showed just how much she was going to miss him, too.  She broke the kiss when breathing became a necessity and tried to slow her rapid pulse.  Jesse had other ideas, however, as he moved his lips downwards and his hands found their way under her shirt to caress the sensitive skin on her stomach.  “Jesse.”

“Mm-hmm?”

She was finding it hard to think, let alone speak.  “Jesse, I know we said slow, but if you keep that up, slow won’t be an option.”  He hummed into her skin sending a shiver through her body before ending his delicious assault.  His fingers still caressed her stomach idly, as if he couldn’t _not_ touch her.

“Why did we decide to wait again?”  His voice was all but a whine.

Beca chuckled.  “It was your idea.”

_Before he’d even set her down, his lips found hers.  They quickly and carelessly (she’d have to pay for that vase) made their way to the couch.  She pushed him down to straddle him; it was her turn to make_ him _moan.  She needed more skin._

_Beca grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled up, only to get snagged by Jesse’s hands keeping it in place.  She looked at him, confused and panting._

_“We should wait.”_

_“We should what?”_

_“Wait.”_

_“Why?”  His body clearly hadn’t gotten the memo and the feel of him between her legs was so good.  She ground down on him, eliciting a moan that did delicious things to her body._

_Jesse carefully moved her off of himself.  “Because we’re seeing where we’re going” he took her hand, “and I want us both to be completely sure where we’re at when we…”  He made some vague hand motions.  “I need to woo you.”_

_She smirked and arched her brows.  “You need to what me?”_

_“Woo you.”  He grinned._

_Beca shook her head. “Don’t use that word.”  She cupped his cheek.  “And you don’t.  You already did.”_

_“I need to again.”_

_“You don’t.”_

_He pecked her on the lips.  “It’s happening.  It’ll be easier if you just accept it.”_

Honestly, she agreed with him.  The waiting until they’re sure part, not the wooing (ugh) part.  But he tasted so good and it had been so long.

Jesse nodded as if remembering.  “Right.  I have to woo you first.”

“You don’t.”

“But I must.”

Beca sighed and dropped her head to his chest.  “I’m gonna miss you, too,” she whispered.

\--------------------

She’d been back in New York for three weeks and, despite being busy meeting with songwriters, stylists, PR reps, and the list goes on, she’d made a genuine effort to talk to Jesse at least once a day.  She’d text him between her endless meetings, and he’d call her when he was done with classes.  They’d gotten a routine down to deal with the three-hour time difference.  They Skyped only when Beca had the apartment to herself, because “privacy” and “boundaries” were not concepts that Fat Amy understood.

It had only been three weeks and they weren’t officially labeling their relationship, but she’d noticed her mood had changed (after Fat Amy had mentioned her lack of crankiness in the morning and Theo commented that she was smiling more).  Her outlook on life wasn’t sunny by any means, but she found herself not _as_ annoyed by little things, like her train running late or Amy flushing the toilet while she was in the shower; she even found herself _not_ openly scowling at couples performing all kinds of PDA on the subway.

A couple just outside of the coffee shop she’d stopped at that morning kissed goodbye and parted ways, only to turn back after several steps to blow each other another kiss.  Beca smiled at the display and then immediately frowned.  She sent Jesse a text.

_What have you done to me?_

She was surprised at his quick response (it was 5 a.m. in LA).

_That’s a very open question…_

Beca sat down at a nearby table and typed furiously.

_I just saw the most movie-esque display of PDA and thought it was CUTE!  This is all your fault._

She checked the time and mentally calculated how long she had before she needed to descend into the land of no cell reception to catch her train.  She gathered her things before sending another text.

_Also, why are you up?_

She was halfway to the subway station when Jesse’s responses came back to back.

_I KNEW I’d get to you eventually._

_Couldn’t sleep.  Went for a run to clear my head._

She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.  Screw it.  She’d take a cab.

_Wanna talk about it?_

Beca was already hailing a taxi when her phone signaled his reply.

_We’ll talk tonight.  Skype?_

She gave the cabbie the studio’s address and sat back.  She stopped herself from hitting “call” twice; if he wanted to talk, Jesse would be the first one to say so.

_I may have to lock myself in the bathroom, but I’ll be there._

_\--------------------_

Beca felt uneasy all day.  She thought things were going great with Jesse, but she couldn’t help but think his need to “clear his head” that morning had something to do with them.  It distracted her so much that Theo finally told her to go home and (she tried not to cringe when he said it) clear her head.

She walked into a blissfully empty apartment and promptly face-planted on her bed.  She groaned into her comforter when she heard the toilet flush.  Amy was supposed to be performing in Times Square.

“Beca?”

Chloe’s voice was not what she’d been expecting and she jumped a little.  “Chloe!”  The redhead came to sit next to Beca on her bed.  “You’re home.  Did I know you were coming home?”  Beca maneuvered into a sitting position.

“It was kind of last minute.”  Chloe reached for Beca’s hand.  “Wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

Beca moved her hand out of reach and shrugged.  “Nothing’s _wrong_.  I just had a rough day at the studio.”

Chloe ignored Beca’s obvious lie—she’d been much better at deception in college—and tentatively asked, “Is it about Jesse?”

Beca’s gaze snapped to Chloe’s and her voice held anything but the nonchalance she was going for.  “Why would you think Jesse has anything to do with it?”

Chloe slapped a hand over her mouth when a loud laugh escaped it.  “Beca, come on.  I know you guys are back together.”

Beca looked away.  “We’re not _really_.  We’re just…seeing where things go.”  She covered her ears when Chloe let out a squeal and jumped off the bed.

“I knew it!  I _knew_ once you guys saw each other in person you’d realize how _so_ not over each other you are.”  She sat down again.  “I mean, especially since the whole long-distance thing is essentially not an issue anymore.”

Beca ignored the huge smile on her friend’s face (seriously, why was everyone so emotionally involved in _her_ love life?) and concentrated on the last part of her little ramble.  “You know we still live 3,000 miles apart, right?”

Chloe shrugged.  “For now.  But you can work from anywhere.  You can record an album in LA just as well as you can in New York.”  The realization must have shown on Beca’s face because the smile finally fell from Chloe’s.  “Beca, you _have_ thought about moving to LA, right?”

No, she hadn’t.  Logically, of course she could record in LA.  She’d just been to the studio there, hadn’t she?  But the thought of actually moving across the country and living in LA, living with _Jesse_ , hadn’t actually formed in her mind…until just now.  And now that she’d thought about it, she was even more apprehensive about their talk that night, because if his need to clear his head _did_ have to do with them, it would be so much worse.

A tear escaped Beca’s eye, and Chloe immediately wrapped the brunette in a hug.  “Hey, come on.  You know you can tell me anything.”

Beca did know that.  And because she’d learned the hard way that keeping secrets from the Bellas was _not_ an option, she stumbled through an explanation of why she was certain Jesse was going to end it.  When she was finished, Chloe didn’t wrap her in another bear hug as she’d expected, but waved her hand in dismissal.

“That’s nothing to worry about.”

Beca grabbed a pillow and held it to her chest.  “He didn’t wanna talk, Chlo.  When does Jesse ever _not_ want to talk?”

“He’ll talk tonight.”  Beca wished she could be as sure as Chloe seemed to be.  The redhead sighed.  “Beca, there are a ton of explanations that have nothing to do with breaking up.  Trust me, Jesse won’t let you go so easily this time.”

Beca hugged the pillow tighter.  The rational side of her brain knew she was jumping to conclusions—probably the wrong ones—but that didn’t loosen the knot in her chest.  She had to take her mind off of it.  She wouldn’t get any answers until their Skype call that night; there was no use in wallowing, as tempting as that was.  “So, why are you home?”

That’s all it took.  Maybe Chloe knew she needed a distraction or maybe her friend was just really excited about her new guy.  Either way, Beca did her best to listen to every annoyingly romantic detail.

“So, when he got his PCS papers—that’s Army speak for transfer—for Fort McNair in DC, I decided to come home.  I’ll visit once he’s settled.”  The bright smile on Chloe’s face calmed Beca, if only a bit.  One of her best friends in the world was blissfully happy and, no matter what turmoil was going on inside her own head, that happiness was contagious.

“Sounds like you got a good one, Chlo.”  Beca leaned her head on Chloe’s shoulder.  “I’m happy for you.”

“I’ve got a good feeling about this one, Beca.  A really good feeling.”

Chloe had always been one to rely on feelings; follow her heart.  Sometimes, Beca really envied that.

\--------------------

It was several hours later that Beca got the text, _Skype in 10?_

Exactly 10 minutes later, as she was ushering her roommates out the door, her laptop chimed an incoming Skype call.  She took a breath, strengthening her resolve to take Chloe’s advice and not worry about it until she’d talked to Jesse.

The moment his face filled her screen, however, her resolve was outmatched by the need to know.  If he was going to break her heart—again—they could skip the preamble.

“Hey.”

Beca’s hands shook in her lap.  “Look, Jesse, if this has anything to do with us or wanting to not be an us—”

“What?  No!”  The look on his face would have been comical if her heart wasn’t in her throat.  “Where did that come from?”

His adamant denial calmed her nerves the tiniest bit.  She had to fight the urge to stand up and pace.  “You didn’t wanna talk this morning.  You _always_ wanna talk.”

The shocked expression was still firmly on his face as he told her, “You were on your way to work.  I didn’t wanna make you late.  Your career is important.”

Still on edge and unable to censor thoughts before they became words, Beca shouted, “Not more important than you!” into her computer screen.  She inwardly groaned at the self-assured smile that lit up his entire face.  “Don’t be smug.”

Jesse kept smiling.  “Wow, Becs.  I mean, I knew you had the hots for me, but…”

His smile, his laugh, his energy was contagious, and she couldn’t help the stretch of her own lips.  For a moment, as they just looked at each other, she wondered how she had ever been afraid of this—a life with him.  Before she could remind herself of the realities of divorce and heartbreak, she asked, “So, if you’re not breaking up with me, why did you need to clear your head?”

He was still smiling, but Beca saw the sparkle dim in his eyes.  “I was up for an internship with John Williams—”

“The _Star Wars_ guy?”  The light was back in his eyes for a moment.  Yes, she’d actually _listened_ to his endless ramblings about movies and composers.  He got so excited when talking about the things he loved, it was hard not to get drawn in.  Jesse looked like he wanted to say something besides the “Yes, the _Star Wars_ guy” that came out of his mouth, but she didn’t push it.

“We found out today who had been accepted, and I was too anxious to sleep.”

Beca waited a beat.  “Did you get it?”  The smile that looked like it hurt was all the answer she needed.  “Oh, my God, Jesse, that’s amazing!  I’m so proud of you!”  Her elation on his behalf was quickly overshadowed by concern when both his eyes and his smile fell.  “Jesse?”

“The internship is in LA.”  The words were so simple that the misery in his tone confused her.

“You live in LA.”  She said the words slowly, as if explaining it to a small child.

“But you don’t.”  Whoop, there it was.  “I thought that after graduation…”

Beca’s stomach dropped.  Jesse had been thinking about—planning even—relocating across the country to be with her, and the mere thought of doing the same hadn’t even occurred to her until her conversation with Chloe a few hours before.

She swallowed her guilt and the fear that no matter how much she’d grown, how much she tried, she would never be good enough for him.  “Hey, we’ll figure it out, ok?  You’ll take the internship, because it’s an amazing opportunity to work with one of your heroes, and we’ll put the relocating on hold for a bit.”

Beca watched a familiar sadness eclipse his chocolate colored eyes.  He thought she was running again.  She hoped she wasn’t.

Jesse nodded.  “Speaking of relocating, I have purchased my plane ticket and will be arriving at JFK in nine days.”

Beca was grateful for the subject change.  “Great.  Text me the time and gate info in eight days.”

“Of course.  Now, I want to do the touristiest New York stuff possible.  I’m talking Times Square, Stature of Liberty, Empire State Building, the whole shebang.”  The knot in her stomach loosened as he talked animatedly.

“You know you’ve been to New York before, right?”  She rolled her eyes at his scoff.

“If you’ll recall, we never got much sightseeing done on any of our trips to the Big Apple.”  Jesse waggled his eyebrows.

Beca smiled, recalling each of their three trips to the city while attending Barden.  The first year, they’d snuck away from the floor-wide party to talk—and kiss—about the new development in their relationship.  The next two years, they’d snuck away to do naughty things to each other in the comfort of a room with a lock on the door.

“I recall seeing some of my favorite sights on those trips.”  She bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud at his blush.

“Yes, those are wonderful sights—amazing!—and I can’t wait to see them again.”  Beca licked her lips and stretched, arching her back.  Jesse continued absently, “But I was talking about buildings.  Lights and buildings and theatre.”

Beca knew she shouldn’t tease him (mostly because payback was a glorious bitch and Jesse was its master), so she changed the subject.  “Ok, so what do you think about the Mariott Marquis in Times Square?  It’s a tourist’s wet dream.”

“I think it sounds delightful.”  Then why did he sound disappointed?

“I just figured it’s kind of in the center of everything and it has the plus of being nowhere near this apartment.  The farther we are from the girls, the better this trip is going to be.”

“We?”  His brows rose along with his voice.  “You’ll be staying at the hotel with me?”

“Well, yeah.”  The words were scarcely out of her mouth before her mind was in overdrive.  They were taking things slow, which was a lot harder when you were alone in a hotel room.  Maybe he didn’t want to rush into that.  Maybe he didn’t want her there.  “Unless you don’t want me to.  Because I can not—”

“I do!  I definitely do want you there.  With me.”  When he flashed that smile that used every muscle in his face, her shoulders relaxed.

They talked for a while longer about their plans for his visit.

_“We’re definitely kissing on the top of the Empire State building.”_

_“That’s so cliché.”_

_“I prefer ‘iconic’.”_

And how each other’s day had been.

_“Why didn’t you just call me if you were feeling like that?”_

_“You had class.  School is important.”_

_“Never more important than you.”_

Jesse’s yawn was what alerted both of them to the time.  It was almost one in New York.

“You should get some sleep,” she told him after his third yawn in as many minutes.

He nodded through yet another.  “Yeah.  Ok.  Goodnight.  I love you.”

Beca froze, her hand half way to closing her laptop.  As she watched him panic and ramble through phrases like, “I know we’re taking it slow,” and “It just came out,” she didn’t feel the trepidation she would have expected at his declaration.  And why should she?  They were beginning their relationship anew, but the feelings had been there for years, resting comfortably in their chests.  She felt a smile tugging at her lips.  “Jesse.”  His rambling ceased at the sound of her voice.  “I love you, too.”

The sun itself would have been jealous of the light radiating from his face.  “Yeah?”

Beca nodded.  “Yeah.  Now go to bed.”

“Ok, ok, just one more thing.”  At her raised brow, he continued.  “I love you.”

She sighed in mock annoyance.  “If I say it again, will you go to bed?”  He nodded.  “I love you, Jesse.”

He threw both his fists in the air like Rocky Balboa after a win, and she was so happy, she didn’t even wince at the mental movie reference.  “Nine more days.”  The words held a promise that sent her pulse racing.  “Night, Becs.”

As she closed her laptop and glanced at the clock—1:15 A.M.—she groaned.  The next nine days were going to last an eternity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worth the wait? Not so much?


End file.
